5 simple rules for effective social media marketing

Think like the customer. Build your keyword strategy on terms customers use to search for solutions, not product names and buzzwords. If you sell snowplows, optimize on “snow removal.” Ditch terms like “industry-leading.” No one searches for that.

Go where the customers are. If Facebook doesn't deliver leads, skip it. Focus your resources on two or three core platforms and build out as needed.

Share everything you can. Presentations, spreadsheets and document templates can unearth prospects when posted for others to discover and use. Check out Flickr, Pinterest, Scribd and SlideShare for new audiences.

Invite response. Half your posts to social networks, blogs and Twitter should end with a question mark. Constantly seek ways to start discussions. Remember that a critic is simply an advocate who hasn't yet been convinced.

Gather email addresses. Start a newsletter and post a subscription form on every page on your website. Invite visitors to submit questions for your experts to answer. Use every opportunity to gain access to their hallowed inboxes.